Dedniel Núñez is one step closer to making his return to the Mets.
The right-handed reliever had his rehab transferred to Triple-A Syracuse on Wednesday.
This comes after Núñez logged back-to-back scoreless appearances with Double-A Binghamton.
He still likely has a couple more boxes to check off before making his way back to the big-league bullpen, as his velo has been down a few ticks in the early going.
Núñez, of course, hasn't pitched in the majors since July 2025.
The righty landed on the injured list at the beginning of the month with a right elbow sprain, and he ended up having to undergo the second Tommy John surgery of his career.
At the time, Núñez was in the midst of an up-and-down season on the mound.
The year before that, though, he had broken through as a weapon out of New York's bullpen.
Núñez was able to build off his strong start to the Triple-A season, pitching to a 2.31 ERA and 0.91 WHIP in 25 appearances after receiving a call up to the big-league level.
If the Mets could get that version of the 30-year-old back down the stretch it would be a nice boost, especially with them potentially moving some of their high-leverage relievers ahead of the deadline.
LeBron James won’t be speaking to teams directly in free agency as Rich Paul will handle all communications. 2026 Richard Rodriguez
James received mixed reviews by the public for his decision to leave the Los Angeles Lakers after eight seasons. He will likely continue receiving praise and backlash in this next stage of his career.
Being the top free agent of the summer means James makes headlines everyday as everyone is curious where the veteran will land. There seems to be a general consensus that the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat are favorites in the James sweepstakes, but what is James didn’t return to a former team and instead chose a new one?
NBA insider Brian Windhorst answered the question and explained why there may be added criticism for James if he joins a team he’s never played for throughout his storied career.
“It would be interesting, not surprising,” Windhorst said on the Yahoo Sports Daily podcast. “One of the things that I think LeBron is going to have to decide is how much he cares about what people will think if he goes to a team he’s never played for. Basically, if he chooses somebody besides Cleveland or Miami. Because Cleveland and Miami, it’s a very clean decision. It makes sense.
Brian Windhorst discussed LeBron James’ free agency decision in a recent podcast appearance. NBAE via Getty Images
“Does he want to deal with what the reaction would be if he went to Philadelphia or Minnesota or Denver or something like that where it would be a sort of new place and he would have to create new ties and learn new routines. And also deal with people calling him a ring chaser or what have you.
“I think that’s an extra layer that he’s had to grapple with. I think he absolutely could do it. I don’t think that’s a reason he’d say no.”
.@WindhorstESPN weighs the potential backlash surrounding LeBron's next move
As James mulls over options, he’s looking for the place where he’ll find complete happiness. According to his agent Rich Paul, the four-time NBA champion is prioritizing contentment over a championship.
Perhaps, he could find both somewhere this summer.
Joe DeMayo welcomes The Athletic's Will Sammon as guest co-host to deliver the latest episode of The Mets Pod, as the Mets stumble towards the All-Star break.
Joe and Will recap another frustrating week of games, plus have a discussion about the relationship between Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto. The guys then dive into a preview of a likely Mets trade deadline sale, including the value of potential returns for Freddy Peralta, Brooks Raley, A.J. Minter and other bullpen parts.
Later, MLB.com's Jim Callis joins the show to preview the 2026 MLB Draft and pick options for the Mets, then the show wraps with the Mailbag, which answers questions about possibly trading Lindor, evaluating Francisco Alvarez, if there's a market for Bo Bichette, and chasing Japanese star Teruaki Sato.
Be sure to subscribe to The Mets Pod at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe (11) in the field against the Minnesota Twins.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Mostly reserved and soft-spoken publicly in his three-plus seasons as a big leaguer, Anthony Volpe saved his most passionate defense for Wednesday, when he felt like his character had come under attack.
Following a report (since retracted) that the polarizing Yankees shortstop refused to play second base while he was at Triple-A earlier this season, Volpe called “BS” and insisted he has been willing to do whatever the team needed of him.
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“It couldn’t be further from the truth,” Volpe said in front of his locker at Tropicana Field. “From my end, from my perspective, that’s been very clearly communicated to [manager Aaron Boone] and the team. I think it’s just kind of BS, honestly, because I’d hope my teammates in here — I’ve played with them for three-plus years — I hope they know my character and that I’d literally do anything to help the team win. Literally anything. So I think just the narrative and what it tries to say about me, I feel like I’m defending myself over something that literally didn’t happen.”
The 25-year-old Volpe, who underwent offseason shoulder surgery to repair a torn labrum, said the organization did not broach the subject of playing different positions with him until José Caballero was coming back from the injured list in late May.
That came after Volpe had spent all of his rehab process working at shortstop, including on his rehab assignment, after which the club decided to option him to Triple-A on May 4 because Caballero had been playing shortstop at a high level.
Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe (11) in the field against the Minnesota Twins. Robert Sabo for NY Post
According to Volpe, he had checked in with the organization weekly during the offseason to ask what was expected of him at a time when all he could do was take ground balls, and the message was consistently to be ready to play shortstop. GM Brian Cashman had reiterated that at Tampa Bay on April 10 — at which point Caballero had gotten off to a slow start — when he said that Volpe returning as the starting shortstop had “always been the plan.” Of course, Caballero’s play eventually changed that plan.
For the week he spent at Triple-A after being optioned, Volpe only played shortstop. It is possible that the organization would have started to mix in second base if he had stayed there longer, but then Caballero got injured and Volpe got called up to play shortstop in the big leagues.
Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe (11) makes a fielding error against the Minnesota Twins. Robert Sabo for NY Post
“I mean, when I was getting optioned, I told Booney I’d play catcher, I’d do literally whatever the team needed,” he said. “And that’s the truth behind the story. That’s why the fact that what was said was said is catching me so off guard, because there was literally zero of that.
“Even after the new message [about introducing other positions] was received, I had no — I still have no problem. I want to be here and I want to help the team win the World Series. That’s literally all I want. So for anything opposite to be put out there is just confusing.”
Asked Wednesday if there was any resistance from Volpe about trying second base when he was at Triple-A, general manager Brian Cashman wrote in a text message, “No.” Boone also defended Volpe, saying they did not bring up playing other positions until “pretty late in the game.”
“I know he would do anything,” Boone said. “Volpe’s character and team-first [mindset] is beyond reproach. He’s as good as it gets. He’s been through a lot and he’s handled everything with toughness, with grace, with work ethic and with team first in mind. He’s always been that way.
“He’s a gamer, and he’s a tough, tough kid that loves the game and plays his butt off every single day. I wish that was celebrated a little bit more.”
After Caballero came back from the IL, Volpe began taking occasional ground balls at second base on days when he was not in the lineup, but that slowed down because the Yankees were then ravaged by injuries to Aaron Judge, Jasson Domínguez, Trent Grisham and Ryan McMahon, and leaned on Caballero’s defensive versatility to help them get through it.
They are now closer to whole, and Tuesday Volpe did not start against a lefty for only the second time this season, though he was back at shortstop Wednesday against another lefty, Shane McClanahan, with Caballero spelling Jazz Chisholm Jr. at second base.
Volpe, who won the Gold Glove at shortstop as a rookie in 2023 but went through a brutal defensive stretch last summer while playing through the shoulder injury, has been up and down there this season. He has made some terrific plays while botching some more routine ones, with his decreased arm strength a concern. Caballero has graded out better in Defensive Runs Saved (six to one), but has also had some bumps defensively at shortstop.
Offensively, Volpe has been getting on base at a higher clip (.338) than he has the rest of his career, but only had a .663 OPS in 41 games compared to Caballero’s .701 mark in 78 games.
“We really haven’t had, until Cabby walked in the door last year, a real competition-based thing here,” Boone said. “And by the way, [Volpe] has been a damn good shortstop. I hate to break it to everyone, that still is real. Has he had his struggles? Sure. But he’s also played really well out there in some long stretches defensively.”
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - JULY 02: Chase Burns #26 of the Cincinnati Reds throws a pitch against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on July 02, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images) | Getty Images
I do not know if the Cincinnati Reds have a season that is capable of salvage. What I do know, though, is that if it is to be salvaged, it will come on the backs of their select few superstars, of which Chase Burns leads the pack.
The electric 23 year old has already compiled 4.3 bWAR through the team’s first 90 games of the 2026 season, doing so with an absurd mix of 99 mph heat and a slider that bends minds more than Timothy Leary. The All Star has somehow managed to go 10 and 1, too, despite Cincinnati’s otherwise dismal 41-49 record, an indication that he’s been the stopper the team needs (even though nobody else has been able to pick up their slack).
Burns will start for the Reds on Wednesday night in Great American Ball Park in the second game of the series against the Philadelphia Phillies. The series has already seen an ace go to work as Zack Wheeler wiped the floor with Cincinnati hitters during Tuesday night’s 4-1 Phillies win, and the hope on Cincinnati’s side is that Burns can return the favor in his start.
First pitch is set for 7:00 PM ET on ESPN. It will be the final scheduled appearance for Burns before the All Star break.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 07: LeBron James speaks with Stephen Curry following a basketball game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Golden State Warriors at Crypto.com Arena on February 07, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors are among the handful of teams that are trying to convince LeBron James to join them in free agency. On Wednesday afternoon, Warriors guard Steph Curry was asked about the possibility of playing with James and decided to pivot the conversation elsewhere. “I’d say more, so I’m interested to just golf with LeBron.”
Steph Curry on the possibility of playing with LeBron James:
“I’d say more so I’m interested to just play golf with LeBron. We’ll handle the basketball stuff, but I want to see the golf LeBron free agent. He’s out here really grinding on the game. But I’m sure we obviously would… pic.twitter.com/aGcZhc5PYI
Curry went on to say that he would “love to play together,” but mostly seemed much less enthusiastic about what a team-up on the hardwood would look like.
Golf is certainly something James has been doing a lot of this summer back in Akron. He’s been posting videos of himself golfing seemingly whenever he can, including Wednesday afternoon.
LeBron James vibing on the golf course without a care in the world right now 😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/VqRweF13Y4
Anything bought from the links helps support Fear the Sword. You can also shop all of Homage’s Cavs gear HERE. The link to the 2016 championship shirt HERE.
LeBron would probably be open to playing golf with Curry, whether or not he’s interested in joining him in Golden State is another question entirely.
ESPN’s Shams Charania has narrowed the list of James’s potential suitors to three top teams: the Cavs, Miami Heat, and Philadelphia 76ers. The Warriors weren’t one of those teams listed, but Charania said that they could get back into that conversation if they were able to trade for Anthony Davis from the Washington Wizards.
It’s also been reported that James and Draymond Green — who is currently a free agent — are meeting up this weekend. What that could be about is anyone’s guess.
We don’t know what LeBron is going to do. There are signs that point to his return to Cleveland. And while that may be the most likely outcome, we can’t rule out other possibilities quite yet. That includes the Warriors, even though their best player may be more excited about playing golf with James than he is about playing basketball.
Ridly Greig might be the most talented player ever to wear No. 17 for the Ottawa Senators.
Fortunately for him, he only wore it for 20 games before switching to No. 71.
A look through the Sens' archive reveals that No. 17 may quietly be the most snake-bitten jersey in franchise history. According to the club's all-time sweater database at hockeyreference.com, 19 different players have worn No. 17, making it the most commonly-assigned number in franchise history.
Steve Staios talks about what he liked about Andre Burakovsky, who was picked up for a fifth-round draft pick.
The Senators' Five Most Commonly Worn Jersey Numbers
No. 17 – 19 players
No. 27 – 17 players (William Eklund about to make it 18)
No. 10 – 16 players
No. 23 – 16 players
No. 28 – 16 players
Despite all those opportunities, No. 17 has produced almost nothing in terms of long-term success for the player who wore it.
No captains, no all-stars, no franchise cornerstones. No. 17 has become an organizational hand-me-down, and history has been extremely unkind to those who chose to wear it.
I'm not saying Ottawa's No. 17 is cursed. But after exploring its horrors, I'm not "not saying" it either.
The "17" Crew: The One-and-Dones
Jody Hull (1993)
Hull wore 17 with the expansion Senators, and like everyone on this part of the list, was gone after one season here. When he returned a decade later, he didn't have the option of repeating history. Forward Bill Muckalt was already in the process of proving the curse of 17 was real, scoring 0 goals in 70 games in his one season here.
Eric Lacroix (2001)
Lacroix had played 463 NHL games when he arrived in Ottawa to throw on No. 17. Nine games later, his NHL career was over.
Bill Muckalt (2002)
Again, a forward who played 70 games for the Sens and had 0 goals. That’s tough to do. But apparently not for No. 17.
Fillip Novák (2006)
0 points in 11 games for the Sens. He’d play 6 more NHL games before going back to Europe.
Denis Hamel (2007)
Hamel scored 56 goals in the AHL wearing No. 17. But the following year, when he grabbed Ottawa’s No. 17, he had 4 goals in 43 games in Ottawa.
David Legwand (2015)
Legwand wore No. 11 all through his time in Nashville, but it was kind of spoken for in Ottawa. So he made the ill-fated decision to jump on 17 and was gone after one year.
Nate Thompson (2018)
11 points in 43 career games for the Sens.
Brian Gibbons (2019)
Gibbons played just 20 games for the Sens, but had 14 points. But because he wore No. 17 (probably), he never had another NHL point after that.
Max McCormick (2019)
For parts of three years, McCormick was happily wearing 89 whenever he got looks in Ottawa, but then he offered it to Mikael Boedker when he arrived. McCormick switched to 17 and then played only 14 more games for Ottawa.
Jonathan Davidsson (2020)
Davidsson was acquired in the Matt Duchene trade to Columbus. He played six games for the Sens, wearing No. 17. Those would be his only NHL games. He’s now a full-timer in Sweden.
Alex Galchenyuk (2021)
The former Canadiens star played just 8 games before the Senators had seen enough and dealt him to Carolina.
Adam Gaudette (2022)
In Gaudette’s first go-around with the Sens, he wore No. 17 and failed to stick with the Sens after half a season. By the time he returned in 2024-25, Zack MacEwen had scooped up 17, so just like Hull, he had to switch. He chose 81. Without the drag of No. 17, Gaudette had his best NHL season with 19 goals.
Ridly Greig (2023)
For his first 20 NHL games in the league, Greig wore 17 like his father, Mark, did with the Hartford Whalers. But when the Sens signed Zack MacEwen, Greig gave MacEwen the number and flipped his digits to 71. It was a narrow escape for one of Ottawa's top emerging young players.
"The No. 17 All-Stars:" The Ones Who Lasted More Than One Season
Dave McLlwain (1994-1995) - 55 points in 110 games
Tom Chorske (1996-1997) - 55 points in 140 games
Chris Murray (1998-1999) - 15 points in 84 games
Colin Forbes (2000-2001) - 8 points in 84 games
Zack MacEwen (2024-2025) - 6 points in 51 games
Filip Kuba (2009-2012) - No one did more with No. 17 in Ottawa than Filip Kuba, and it isn't close.
Kuba played four years here for the Senators, often alongside Erik Karlsson, then signed a two-year, $8 million deal with Florida. That's when the curse activated and followed him to Sunrise. After one lockout-shortened season, the Panthers bought him out, and Kuba retired.
These six brave souls fought off the curse longer than the others, gloriously managing to bear it across more than one Ottawa season.
It's almost unbelievable: A jersey number that's been so much, yet produced so little. 12 of the 19 players who have worn No. 17 lasted just a single season of wearing it in Ottawa. Of the six who held on to it longer, only Kuba could truly be considered a clear success.
Everyone else was either a depth player, a veteran nearing the end of his career, or someone who never established himself as a long-term piece of the franchise.
Maybe it's just a coincidence. Or maybe No. 17 really is the unluckiest jersey in Senators' history.
Either way, if you're the next Senator offered No. 17, you might want to see if there's another option available.
By Steve Warne The Hockey News
This article was first published on The Hockey News Ottawa Senators site. For full coverage of the Senators, check out one of the latest headlines below:
SALT LAKE CITY, UT - JULY 6: Zuby Ejiofor #20 of the Atlanta Hawks looks to pass the ball during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the 2026 NBA Salt Lake City Summer League on July 6, 2026 at Jon M. Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
This year’s NBA Summer League may be its most anticipated iteration for St. John’s basketball fans. Eight former Red Storm players will descend on Las Vegas hoping to make a strong impression for their respective teams, perhaps the largest contingent of Johnnies since the tournament began.
The octet of Johnnies features a trio of 2026 NBA draft selections in Zuby Ejiofor (Atlanta Hawks), Dillon Mitchell (Boston Celtics), and Bryce Hopkins (Denver Nuggets), as well as undrafted alumni like Oziyah Sellers (New York Knicks), Kadary Richmond (Washington Wizards), Deivon Smith (Golden State Warriors), Aaron Scott (Brooklyn Nets), and Chris Ledlum (Houston Rockets) who are all seeking to take the next step toward an NBA roster spot.
Here is how to follow all these players throughout the Summer League, which runs from Thursday, July 9 to Sunday, July 19. All game times are Eastern, and any matchups in which St. John’s players are rostered on both teams will be listed with a hash sign (#).
Zuby Ejiofor, Atlanta Hawks
After snapping St. John’s’ 11-year draftless drought when he was selected in the first round with the 23rd overall pick by the Hawks, Zuby Ejiofor is already showing Atlanta that they made the right choice. The reigning Big East Player of the Year averaged 13.5 points and a tournament-best 13.0 rebounds during the Salt Lake City Summer League event, and outplayed first-round pick Aday Mara when he posted a 19-point, 15-rebound double-double in a win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. Block off your calendar for any plans on July 13 when Zuby Ejiofor takes on his former frontcourt mate Dillon Mitchell.
Thu, July 9: vs. San Antonio Spurs — 4:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
Sat, July 11: vs. Brooklyn Nets — 8 p.m. (ESPN) – #
Mon, July 13: vs. Boston Celtics — 6 p.m. (Prime) – #
Thu, July 16: vs. Memphis Grizzlies — 8 p.m. (Prime)
Dillon Mitchell, Boston Celtics
Mitchell was taken with the 40th overall selection in the 2026 NBA draft and should sign with the Celtics on a two-way deal as the team begins its post-Jaylen Brown era. He is expected to start alongside fellow 2026 selection Chris Cenac, Jr. and promising wing prospect Hugo Gonzalez. Also joining Mitchell is Day Day Thomas, who he was teammates with at Cincinnati during the 2024-25 season.
Fri, July 10: vs. Toronto Raptors — 9 p.m. (ESPN)
Sun, July 12: vs. Charlotte Hornets — 5 p.m. (ESPN2)
Mon, July 13: vs. Atlanta Hawks — 6 p.m. (Prime) – #
Wed, July 15: vs. Sacramento Kings — 8 p.m. (ESPN2)
Bryce Hopkins, Denver Nuggets
Hopkins rounded out the hat trick of St. John’s draft picks when he was picked with the 49th overall selection by the Denver Nuggets, and is also a two-way deal candidate. The two-time All-Big East selection caught attention at the Nuggets’ Summer League practice on Monday when he pulled off a posterizing dunk over the taller Osayi Osifo.
Fri, July 10: vs. Houston Rockets — 6:30 p.m. (ESPN2) – #
Sat, July 11: vs. Minnesota Timberwolves — 7:30 p.m. (Prime)
Tue, July 14: vs. Oklahoma City Thunder — 9 p.m. (ESPN)
Thu, July 16: vs. Portland Trail Blazers — 10 p.m. (Prime)
Oziyah Sellers, New York Knicks
Following his first and only season at St. John’s, Oziyah Sellers isn’t done representing the Big Apple. The sharpshooting guard inked a Summer League deal with the defending NBA champion New York Knicks, with the hopes he can put on a great performance in Las Vegas and parlay that into an Exhibit 10 or a two-way contract in the league.
Fri, July 10: vs. Brooklyn Nets — 6 p.m. (MSG/Prime Video) – #
Sat, July 11: vs. San Antonio Spurs — 6 p.m. (MSG/ESPN)
Mon, July 13: vs. Detroit Pistons — 4 p.m. (MSG/Prime)
Thu, July 16: vs. Golden State Warriors — 7 p.m. (MSG/ESPN2) – #
Kadary Richmond, Washington Wizards
Richmond is the only Red Storm alum competing in this year’s NBA Summer League who has already spent time in the league. After graduation last year, Richmond signed a G-League deal with the Washington Wizards’ affiliate Capital City Go-Go, and performed well enough to earn a 10-day contract with the Wizards in February. The Brooklyn native averaged 8.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.7 assists in only three appearances in the NBA before he returned to the G-League once his 10-day deal expired.
Thu, July 9: vs. Utah Jazz — 9 p.m. (ESPN)
Sun, July 12: vs. Sacramento Kings — 8 p.m. (Prime)
Tue, July 14: vs. Chicago Bulls — 8 p.m. (Prime)
Wed, July 15: vs. Los Angeles Clippers — 10:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Deivon Smith, Golden State Warriors
Smith is appearing in his second Summer League with as many teams. He only played in two games with his hometown Atlanta Hawks in last year’s tournament, but already received more playing time with the Golden State Warriors during the California Classic Summer League last week, recording 11.0 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 3.7 assists in three games and even showing his bounce in a game against the San Antonio Spurs.
Thu, July 9: vs. Dallas Mavericks — 7 p.m. (ESPN)
Sun, July 12: vs. Oklahoma City Thunder — 6 p.m. (Prime)
Tue, July 14: vs. Memphis Grizzlies — 7 p.m. (ESPN)
Thu, July 16: vs. New York Knicks — 7 p.m. (ESPN2) – #
Aaron Scott, Brooklyn Nets
Like Smith, Aaron Scott is also playing for his second team in the Summer League. The versatile defensive wing only had a cup of coffee with the Celtics in last year’s Summer League, but could be in line for a larger role with the Nets this year. He’s averaged 7.0 points and 5.5 rebounds coming off the bench in two games during the California Classic Summer League.
Fri, July 10: vs. New York Knicks — 6 p.m. (Prime) – #
Sat, July 11: vs. Atlanta Hawks — 8 p.m. (ESPN) – #
Tue, July 14: vs. Sacramento Kings — 6 p.m. (Prime)
Thu, July 16: vs. Houston Rockets — 4:30 p.m. (ESPNU) – #
Chris Ledlum, Houston Rockets
This will be Ledlum’s second consecutive year of playing with the Rockets in the Summer League. The Brooklyn native totaled 7.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks per game in five games in last year’s tournament, and is hoping a stronger performance can earn him a deal to remain stateside. Ledlum spent the first two seasons of his professional career playing overseas in France and Germany.
Fri, July 10: vs. Denver Nuggets — 6:30 p.m. (ESPN2) – #
Sat, July 11: vs. Toronto Raptors — 9:30 p.m. (Prime)
Tue, July 14: vs. Philadelphia 76ers — 4 p.m. (Prime)
Thu, July 16: vs. Brooklyn Nets — 4:30 p.m. (ESPNU) – #
AKRON, OHIO - MAY 26, 2026: Parks Harber #26 of the Richmond Flying Squirrels warms up prior to a game against the Akron RubberDucks at 7 17 Credit Union Park on May 26, 2026 in Akron, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
All seven of the San Francisco Giants Minor League Baseball affiliates were in action on Tuesday, as a new series kicked off for the A-ball teams. Let’s jump into the action from the day, and also the rookie ball games on Monday.
All listed positions in the roundup are the position played in that particular game.
News
Some movement on the farm. Most notably, LHP Cesar Perdomo was promoted from AA to AAA, which is exciting (and while some of it is merit, it appears to be setting up Carson Whisenhunt for a return to the Majors). Replacing Perhdomo in Richmond’s rotation is LHP Tyler Switalski, who has been promoted from High-A Eugene.
RHPs Chen-Hsun Lee and Samir Chires, and outfielder Angel Guzman were promoted from the ACL to Low-A San Jose, while RHPs Mauricio Estrella and Ubert Mejias were promoted from San Jose to Eugene. Low-A outfielder Jose Ortiz, AA RHP Darien Smith, and AAA outfielder Grant McCray were given rehab assignments.
AAA Sacramento (46-39)
Sacramento River Cats beat the Salt Lake Bees (Angels) 7-6 (10 innings) Box score
Funny game for the River Cats, who were getting no-hit in the 7th inning before rattling off 5 runs in the frame, tying it in the 8th, and walking it off in the 10th. Whatever works! They didn’t have a lot of good performances on either side of the ball, so it’s fairly fitting that it took an error for them to walk it off.
Their lone bright spot on offense was second baseman Nate Furman (No. 39 CPL), who hit 2-5 (their only multi-hit game) with a double (their only extra-base hit) and a strikeout, while knocking in 2 of the 5 runs in the 7th-inning rally.
Furman has had a very steady debut season in AAA, as the soon-to-turn 25-year old has hit decently, but not spectacularly, pretty much all year long. He has a .765 OPS and a 107 wRC+ on the year, and has been hanging around those numbers for much of the season. The Giants surely love his 13.5% strikeout rate.
Shortstop Osleivis Basabe had a nice game, hitting 1-3 with 2 walks and a strikeout. Basabe, a 25-year old who was outrighted last year, remains a great player to have as depth in AAA: he’s hitting near league average (.739 OPS, 95 wRC+), barely striking out (12.0% rate), and has strong defense across the infield dirt.
The pitching started with a trio of bummer performances. RHP Tristan Beck, pitching for the 3rd time since getting optioned, struggled as the opener, ceding 3 hits, 2 walks, and 3 runs in just 2.1 innings, though he did strike out 5 batters. This is Beck’s final option year, and he’s got a lot of work to do to earn a spot on next year’s roster given his performance in both the Majors (6.75 ERA, 3.96 FIP) and AAA (4.34 ERA, 4.15 FIP) this season.
Then it was RHP Trent Harris (No. 29 CPL) who had his first bad outing in a very long time, giving up 3 hits, a walk, a hit batter, and 2 runs in 1.2 innings, though he struck out 3 batters. Harris has been awesome lately, as this broke a streak of 8 straight appearances without a run … and in 5 of those 8 appearances, he didn’t allow a hit!
And then it was rehabbing RHP Jason Foley, who continues to not look like someone who can help the MLB team, as he gave up a hit, a walk, and a run in an inning, with a strikeout. Foley’s rehab has been an absolute disaster, and I’m not sure what the Giants are going to do with him.
But RHPs Braxton Roxby and Michael Fulmer pitched well, as each allowed a hit and a walk with 2 strikeouts and 0 runs, the former in 2 innings and the latter in 2.1. Fulmer has quietly lowered his ERA to 3.57 and his FIP to 3.29, with 12.2 strikeouts per 9 innings, despite living in the very low 90s. Could the Giants get anything for the veteran in a deadline trade?
It was a mostly mild-mannered day for Richmond’s offense, with all 3 of their runs coming on a single swing: a towering 3-run home run by third baseman Parks Harber (No. 17 CPL), who finished the day 1-4 with a strikeout.
— Richmond Flying Squirrels (@GoSquirrels) July 8, 2026
For Harber, it was his 4th home run in the last 3 games, as he is officially catching fire following a short slump. Over his last 9 games, the 24-year old UDFA is hitting 14-36 with 4 homers, 3 doubles, 3 walks, and 7 strikeouts. The .904 OPS and the 137 wRC+ — especially when paired with the invitation to Spring Training earlier this year — certainly suggest that we’ll see Harber in AAA before too terribly long. And I don’t think I’m alone in wondering what Harber’s powerful swing (which has resulted in a .237 isolated slugging and 12 homers in 275 plate appearances this year) can do in the homer-happy Pacific Coast League.
That was it on offense. Harber’s teammates combined to hit just 5-29 with no extra-base hits and no walks.
RHP Trystan Vrieling had a solid start, pitching 5 innings while allowing 6 hits, 1 walk, and 1 run, with 3 strikeouts. It’s not been a very good year for the 25-year old who, along with Harber, came over in last year’s Camilo Doval trade. But things have been a bit better lately, as this was his 2nd straight outing going at least 5 innings with only 1 run allowed, and he’s given up 0 or 1 runs in 4 of his last 5 starts (unfortunately the outlier in those 5 was quite a rough game). Unfortunately, Vrieling just can’t get his strikeouts or his walks to a good place … he has 8.3 and 6.3, respectively, per 9 innings, which has led to a 4.26 ERA and a 5.62 FIP in his 2nd season in AA.
RHP Christian Alvarado continues to dominate out of the bullpen, as he earned the save while striking out all 3 batters that he faced. Alvarado, a 31-year old who recently signed out of a Mexican League and who hadn’t pitched in affiliated ball since 2019, has made 5 appearances for the Squirrels and has yet to allow a run. In 5 innings, he’s given up just 2 hits and 1 walk, while striking out 11. Impressive stuff!
High-A Eugene (49-33)
Eugene Emeralds lost to Spokane (Rockies) 12-4 Box score
This game was all about the long ball for the Emeralds hitters, as their 4 runs came on a trio of homers. The most exciting one came off the bat of shortstop Jhonny Level (No. 3 CPL), who went deep for the 2nd time since getting promoted, as part of a 1-4 day that featured 2 strikeouts.
Level has adjusted quite well to life in High-A. The power is down significantly (his isolated slugging has dipped from .251 in Low-A this year to .156 in High-A), and the walk rate has plummeted (from 7.8% to 3.0%). Those can both be explained by Level being a little overly aggressive as he faces better pitchers … he’s chasing more, and waiting for his pitch less. On the one hand, that’s not great … on the other hand, he’s on the young end of 19 and, despite those issues, more than holding his own, with a .289 average, an 18.5% strikeout rate, a .771 OPS, and a 105 wRC+. Some adjustments and struggles are to be expected when moving up a level, especially when a player is so much younger than the competition. That Level is experiencing that while still keeping his head well above water is impressive.
The best day, however, belonged to catcher Jancel Villarroel (No. 42 CPL), who continues to impress. The 21-year old went 2-4 with a home run, and has now started July with 4 consecutive multi-hit games. Villarroel, who has an .879 OPS and a 136 wRC+, has just gotten better and better as the year goes on. The home run swing has been highly encouraging: when the Giants acquired Villarroel before Spring Training in the Kai-Wei Teng trade, we knew they were getting a player with good contact skills, and that’s been on display, as he has a .308 average and a 19.4% strikeout rate. The power is a bit more surprising — Villarroel’s .192 isolated slugging ranks 24th out of 80 Northwest League hitters with at least 100 plate appearances this year.
Rounding out the homer party was left fielder Lisbel Diaz (No. 32 CPL), who hit 1-4 with a solo blast. For Diaz, it was the continuation of a theme we’ve seen from him throughout his career: loud tools, but the total package still not quite working. It was his 14th home run of the year, good for 3rd in the entire farm system, and just 1 behind his teammate Dakota Jordan (No. 5 CPL), a power monster who is more than 2 years older and has more than 7extra plate appearances (though 3 of Diaz’s dingers came while moonlighting in Low-A due to visa issues).
Yet despite all those home runs, and despite a very tidy 17.2% strikeout rate, Diaz has just a .736 OPS and an 88 wRC+. That’s kind of the story for Diaz, a right-hander who will turn 21 later this month. I remain quite high on him, but his tools — good power, good contact, and arguably the best arm of any outfielder in the system — have, to this point in his career, been just that: tools, not a cohesive, productive package.
It was a bad day for the pitchers, pretty much from top to bottom. Another bad game with signs of life from LHP Luis De La Torre (No. 14 CPL), who gave up just 3 hits in 4 innings with 5 strikeouts, but also walked 4 batters and allowed a home run, though he limited the damage to just 2 runs and 1 earned run.
De La Torre remains very hard to hit: he’s striking out 11.8 batters per 9 innings, and has ceded only 45 hits in 64.1 innings. That’s the good … the bad is that 6 of those hits have cleared the fence, and he’s issued a staggering 51 walks (plus 5 hit batters). He still has some of the nastiest stuff in the organization — you could make a fairly compelling argument that he’s behind only Keyner Martinez (No. 10 CPL) in that department — but the dramatic declines in suppressing walks and home runs, and inducing ground balls, have given the 22-year old a 5.04 ERA and a 4.86 FIP on the season.
At least there were silver linings, which is sadly more than can be said for RHPs Matt Dunaway and Cole Hillier, who each gave up 4 runs (the former in 0.2 innings, and the latter in 1).
RHP Mauricio Estrella allowed 2 hits, a hit batter, and a run in 2 innings, but struck out 4 batters in his High-A debut. A 22-year old from the Dominican Republic, Estrella had a lovely 56-to-12 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 45.2 innings with Low-A San Jose, leading to a 3.74 ERA and a 3.92 FIP.
Low-A San Jose (50-32)
San Jose Giants beat the Visalia Rawhide (D-Backs) 7-6 (11 innings) Box score
Just as was the case in Eugene, San Jose used an electric starting pitcher who has had struggles this year, and he displayed both ends of the spectrum. It was RHP Keyner Martinez (No. 10 CPL) on the mound for the Baby Giants, and he limited Visalia to just 3 hits over 5 innings, with 5 strikeouts. That, unfortunately, is where the good news ends, as 2 of those 3 hits left the park, and were accompanied by 2 walks and 2 hit batters, though Martinez limited the damage to “just” 3 runs.
Like De La Torre with the Emeralds, Martinez — the top pitching prospect in the organization, in my eyes — has seen his walks, home runs, and ground balls all move firmly in the wrong direction this year. But isn’t it a little easy to overlook that when a guy has given up just 44 hits in 60 innings with 96 strikeouts? The 4.50 ERA and 4.90 FIP point to some issues Martinez is having, but you’re doing something right when you have far more strikeouts than baserunners allowed. Martinez’s 14.4 strikeouts per 9 innings now ranks 5th out of the 507 Minor Leaguers who have thrown at least 50 innings this year.
RHP Alix Hernandez showed off his electricity, striking out all 3 batters he faced and coming 1 pitch away from an immaculate inning. After giving up 3 earned runs in 3 straight outings spanning late April and early May, Hernandez has been utterly dynamic: in 14 games since, he’s allowed just 3 earned runs (albeit with 5 unearned runs), and struck out 35 batters in 27 innings. He’s down to a 2.72 ERA on the year, though he has a 4.64 FIP due to a few too many long balls.
In the batter’s box it was a dynamic day for shortstop Lorenzo Meola (No. 23 CPL), who went 4-5 with a pair of doubles, though he also struck out and was caught stealing. Last year’s 4th-round pick is still sporting some pretty discouraging numbers — he has a .751 OPS, an 87 wRC+, and a 27.0% strikeout rate — but he’s 11-23 with 4 extra-base hits, 2 walks, and just 4 strikeouts to start July, all while playing outstanding defense at short.
Decent games for second baseman Isaiah Barkett and third baseman Dario Reynoso. Barkett, last year’s 10th-round selection, hit 1-3 with a double, a walk, and a hit by pitch, pushing his OPS to .858 and his wRC+ to 118. Reynoso, a recently-turned 21-year old from the DR, went 2-5 with a double, but also had a strikeout, a caught stealing, and an error. He has a .939 OPS and a 133 wRC+, but a 31.0% strikeout rate.
Arizona Complex League (28-20)
Monday: ACL Giants beat the ACL Royals 17-6 [box score] Tuesday: ACL Giants beat the ACL Padres 7-2 [box score]
As is usually the case this time of year, the biggest news for the ACL team was the players who were rehabbing. There were a lot of them! And most exciting was a name that probably hasn’t been on most people’s radar for a while: left fielder Jose Ortiz.
Ortiz, who turned 21 in February, was the Giants 13th-round pick in 2023, out of the same Puerto Rican high school that Heliot Ramos came from. He’s played fantastically when he’s been on the field, but staying on the field has been an issue. In 2024 he appeared in just 28 games (27 in the Complex League and 1 in Low-A), but had a 128 wRC+; and last year, he played in just 23 games (8 in the Complex League and 15 in Low-A), but had a 134 wRC+ with San Jose after some rough rehab time an the ACL.
And now he’s thankfully healthy again. Ortiz made his season debut on Tuesday, and what a debut it was: he hit 2-3, with both of his hits leaving the yard. Welcome back Jose!!
Ortiz wasn’t the only rehabbing player to hit a home run, as AAA center fielder Grant McCray began a rehab assignment on Monday. He played in both games, and hit 3-7 with a home run, a double, a walk, a stolen base, and a strikeout. McCray, who’s been having a difficult season in Sacramento, had been sidelined for about 6 weeks. The River Cats aren’t currently hurting for outfielders, so I wouldn’t be surprised if the Giants keep McCray on his rehab assignment through the weekend, and he can rejoin Sacramento after the All-Star break.
McCray’s big fly occurred on Monday, when the ACL Giants bopped a quintet of homers. That featured a pair off the bat of catcher Broedy Poppell, who went 2-4 with a walk and 6 runs batted in. Poppell, last year’s 13th-round pick, opened the year in Low-A as an outfielder, but moved down to the ACL to do some catching. It’s not entirely clear whether the Giants wanted him to work on his catching and he was blocked there in San Jose, or if they just needed extra catchers in the Complex League and opted for Poppell, who primarily caught in college. Either way, he has a .902 OPS and an 86 wRC+ in the ACL.
The other homers belonged to right fielder Evan Estevez, who hit 5-8 with a solo shot, a double, a walk, and 2 strikeouts, and first baseman Carlos Concepcion, who went 2-9 with a 2-run blast and 5 strikeouts. Estevez, an 18-year old from the DR, has a .779 OPS and an 88 wRC+; Concepcion, a 20-year old from the DR, has a .626 OPS and a 52 wRC+. Both players are in their stateside debuts, and have massive strikeout rates.
Evan Estevez was 3 for 5 with his 6th home run and a double, while Carlos Concepcion (home run) and Anthony Marquez each added two hits in Monday’s ACL victory over the Royals. pic.twitter.com/VyGpX21YMd
As for the top prospects, shortstop Josuar González (No. 2 CPL) went 2-6 with a double, a strikeout, and an error, while shortstop/third baseman Luis Hernández (No. 6 CPL) hit 2-8 with a double, a walk, a strikeout, and a caught stealing. Both players are having magical years.
The rehab also took place on the mound, with a pair of AA RHPs. On Monday it was Logan Martin, who allowed a hit in 2 scoreless innings with 2 strikeouts, and on Tuesday it was Darien Smith, who gave up 3 hits and 2 runs in an inning of work, with a strikeout. For Smith, who last pitched in mid-May, it was the start of his rehab assignment. For Martin, it was his 4th rehab appearance, and he’s been phenomenal, giving up just 2 baserunners and 0 runs in 7 innings.
As far as non-rehabbing prospects go, LHPs Carlos De La Rosa (No. 30 CPL) and Leandro Rodriguez had really nice outings. De La Rosa, who came over in the Camilo Doval trade and was one of the hardest-throwing pitchers in the Dominican Summer League last year, tossed 4 scoreless innings with just 3 hits (all singles), 2 walks, and 4 strikeouts. The 18-year old hasn’t had a particularly good year (he has a 5.54 ERA and a 5.14 FIP), but has been starting to find a groove. This was the 3rd time in his last 4 outings that he didn’t allow any runs.
As for Rodriguez, a 20-year old who is also in his stateside debut, he gave up just 3 singles, 1 walk, 1 hit batter, and 1 run in 4 innings, while striking out 3. He only has a 4.62 ERA and a 4.73 FIP, but he’s struck out 48 batters in 39 innings, with just 11 walks. There’s something there!
Speaking of which, RHP Melvin Pineda struck out 5 batters in 2 scoreless innings, allowing just a walk. Pineda is now up to a truly laughable 44 strikeouts in 21.1 innings in the ACL (more than 2 per inning!), but, even with this great showing, has walked 18 batters. That comes after 15 strikeouts and 10 walks in 8.2 innings with San Jose.
Dominican Summer League Black (15-12)
Monday: DSL Giants Black beat DSL Arizona Red 3-1 (7 innings) [box score] Tuesday: DSL Giants Black lost to the DSL Tigers 2, 9-7 (7 innings) [box score]
Monday’s game featured a tremendous pitching performance from RHP Randry De Leon. The soon-to-turn 21-year old from the DR pitched 5 shutout innings, giving up just 3 hits and 2 walks, while striking out 5. You don’t see many DSL pitchers going 5 innings deep, and you certainly don’t see many do so with scoreless outings.
It’s been a tough year for De Leon, who entered the game having allowed multiple runs in all 5 of his prior outings. After having a 3.66 ERA with 12.9 strikeouts per 9 innings last year, the 4th-year pro has a 7.06 ERA (and a 6.62 FIP) with 9.6 strikeouts per 9.
A very nice pair of games for a trio of hitters: left fielder Franco Willias, center fielder Djean Macares, and shortstop Keiberg Camacaro. Willias, a 21-year old in his 3rd season, hit 4-7 with a home run and a strikeout, bringing his OPS to .955 and his wRC+ to 128; Macares, a recently-turned 18-year old in his 2nd season, went 4-7 with a stolen base and a caught stealing, boosting his OPS to .746 and his wRC+ to 100, with 12 stolen bases in 15 attempts; and Camacaro, a 19-year old in his 4th season, hit 3-7 with a triple, a double, and 2 strikeouts, bumping his OPS to .984 and his wRC+ to 140.
Designated hitter Luis Padron, a 16-year old from Venezuela, made his professional debut on Tuesday, and went 1-3.
There was also a really nice starting pitching performance for the DSL Orange team, as RHP Jose Trevizo pitched 4 scoreless innings in Monday’s start, giving up just 1 hit, 1 walk, and 1 hit batter, while striking out 3. An 18-year old from Mexico in his 2nd season, Trevizo got rocked in his season debut, but has been fairly excellent since. He has really nice numbers on the year: a 4.05 ERA, a 3.45 FIP, and 23 strikeouts to 4 walks in 20 innings.
RHP Jhon Leon threw 2 perfect innings with 2 strikeouts for his best outing of the year. The 22-year old is having a tough 3rd pass through the DSL, though.
The offensive standouts: first baseman Albert Jimenez went 1-5 with a solo home run, 2 walks, and a strikeout, as the 19-year old has a 1.039 OPS and a 139 wRC+ in his 3rd season; center fielder Jose Valdez hit 2-5 with a home run and 2 walks, boosting the 17-year old’s OPS to .865 and his wRC+ to 105 in his debut season; third baseman/shortstop Yeison Oviedo went 3-7 with a triple, as the 18-year old has an .826 OPS and a 112 wRC+ in his 2nd season; and left fielder Angelo Ugueto hit 4-6, though he was caught stealing twice, with the 17-year old pushing his debut-season OPS to .748 and his wRC+ to 98.
Home run tracker
14 — Lisbel Diaz — [11 in High-A; 3 in Low-A] 12 — Parks Harber — [AA] 12 — Jhonny Level — [2 in High-A; 10 in Low-A] 8 — Broedy Poppell x2 — [5 in Low-A; 3 in ACL] 7 — Jancel Villarroel — [High-A] 7 — Albert Jimenez — [DSL] 6 — Evan Estevez — [ACL] 5 — Grant McCray — [4 in AAA; 1 in ACL] 5 — Jose Valdez — [DSL] 4 — Franco Willias — [DSL] 3 — Carlos Concepcion — [ACL] 2 — Jose Ortiz x2 — [ACL]
Wednesday schedule
Sacramento: 6:45 p.m. PT vs. Salt Lake (SP: TBD) Richmond: 3:00 p.m. PT at Altoona (SP: Yunior Marte) Eugene: 6:35 p.m. PT vs. Spokane (SP: Hunter Dryden) San Jose: 6:35 p.m. PT at Visalia (SP: TBD)
Reminder that almost all MiLB games can be viewed on MLB TV
Mar 22, 2025; Denver, CO, USA; Wisconsin Badgers forward Steven Crowl (22) reacts against the Brigham Young Cougars during the second half in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
Last offseason, after being an undrafted free agent, former Wisconsin Badgers center Steven Crowl found a home with the Utah Jazz on an Exhibit 10 contract, playing with them in the NBA Summer League and the G League.
Crowl played in 31 regular-season games for the Salt Lake City Stars, Utah’s G League affiliate, making 22 starts and averaging 24.5 minutes a contest. He dropped 6.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game, while shooting 69.3 percent from the field.
He was joined by fellow former Badgers Max Klesmit and John Tonje, who both also played in Salt Lake City. Tonje was traded midway through the season, though, while Klesmit saw 26 games of action with the Stars.
Well, Crowl has found a new home this summer, as 247Sports’s Dushawn London reported that he will be playing for the Detroit Pistons Summer League team, with games starting up this week.
Crowl, 25, averaged 9.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.0 assists, while shooting 52.5 percent from the field and 36.3 percent from three across 153 career games at Wisconsin.
Currently, on their summer league roster, the Pistons have Ugonna Onyenso, Basheer Jihad, and Isaac Jones as the primary forwards/centers available.
Jul 3, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Jake Bennett (64) throws against the Los Angeles Angels during the seventh inning at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
TV: NESN First Pitch: 7:40 p.m. ET Location: Guaranteed Rate Field, Chicago
The Red Sox will look to push their winning streak to five against the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday at Guaranteed Rate Field.
Boston has been superb throughout its most recent stretch, averaging seven runs per game across the four-game winning streak and allowing more than two earned runs in just one of those games — though there are questions about just how long this thing is going to last…
Jake Bennett will toe the rubber once again, with the expectation that he’ll blow past his previous career-high in innings pitched in one season after surpassing the total in his last start. Bennett carries a 3.10 ERA into his eighth start, having struck out 31 batters in 40.2 innings pitched Red Sox manager Chad Tracy is rocking with a similar lineup to that of the series opener, with Masataka Yoshida, Carlos Narváez, and Tsung-Che Cheng entering for Romy Gonzalez, Connor Wong, and Andruw Monasterio.
Davis Martin will look to push things in the right direction for Chicago.
Braden Montgomery, who was the centerpiece of the trade that brought aboard Garrett Crochet, will make his debut against the team that drafted him after being inserted alongside Junior Perez.
The Red Sox have just five games remaining before everyone takes a break for the 2026 MLB All-Star Game. If they’re going to position themselves for a run, things need to continue moving in the right direction.
WEDNESDAY FACTS: The Cubs are 11-4 in all games on Wednesday this season and 6-2 on the road. They finished last year 13-12 overall and 7-6 on the road. They are 15-14 in the second games of series and 8-6 on the road. They finished last season 34-19 overall and 17-9 on the road. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
BACK TO BACK: In their 17-6 surge since June 11, the Cubs have lost back-to-back games only once, Friday and Saturday at home vs. the Cardinals. They had won three, two, four and five games in a row before their back-to-back wins Sunday and yesterday. Forty of the Cubs’ 51 wins have come in winning streaks and 29 of their 40 losses have come in losing streaks. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
HOME RUN FACTS: The Cubs’ eight home runs in their 23-3 pummeling of the Padres last Wednesday made it just the 37th game since 1901 in which a team homered at least eight times. The Cubs have not hit any homers in their four games since then. Twenty of the previous 36 teams with eight or more homers hit at least one in their next game. All of the 16 others homered again in their second game. Only two of the previous 10 teams with at least eight homers did not hit one in their next game: the Phillies, who had been the last team to hit eight before the Cubs, on Sept. 24, 2025, and the Blue Jays, who hit eight on June 13, 2021. After the Cubs broke their team record by slugging eight homers vs. the Cardinals on July 4, 2025, they hit two, one, one and no homers in their next four games. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
TODAY IN WRIGLEY FIELD HISTORY: The home of the Cubs hosts its first All-Star Game. The AL defeats the NL 2-1 in front of 41,123 at Wrigley Field. Cubs representatives are Phil Cavarretta and Andy Pafko. Pafko has one of the NL’s five hits. It happened 79 years ago today, Tuesday, July 8, 1947.
Over his last three starts, Colin Rea has a 1.76 ERA and 1.304 WHIP, a good turnaround from a rough patch he had in late May and early June.
Rea last faced the Orioles in 2024. Current O’s are a small sample size 9-for-35 (.257) against him with one home run (Tyler O’Neill), and 12 strikeouts.
Dean Kremer missed two months this year with a right quad strain and has made just one start since his return, July 1 vs. the White Sox, who he held to four hits and one run in six innings. He threw 79 pitches in that game so likely isn’t on any pitch limit in this one.
Kremer last pitched against the Cubs July 9, 2024 in Baltimore and they hit him hard, including home runs by Michael Busch and Ian Happ. Michael Conforto (3-for-4) has also homered off Kremer.
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The 2026 game discussion procedure has been changed, so please take note.
You’ll find the game preview, like this one, posted separately on the front page two hours before game time (90 minutes for some early day games following night games).
At the same time, a StoryStream containing the preview will also post on the front page, titled “Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of week/date) game threads.” It will contain every post related to that particular game.
The Live! (formerly “First Pitch”) thread will still post at five minutes to game time. It will also post to the front page. That will be the only live game discussion thread. After the game, the recap and Heroes and Goats will also live on the front page as separate posts.
You will also be able to find the preview, Live! thread, recap and Heroes and Goats in this section link. The StoryStream for each game can also be found in that section.
PHOENIX, AZ - MARCH 30: Kevin McGonigle #7 of the Detroit Tigers looks on during the singing of the national anthem prior to the game between the Detroit Tigers and the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on Monday, March 30, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
With the 2026 MLB amateur draft only days away, and Detroit Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris going into his fourth draft as head of the club, it’s a good time to look back at his first three efforts. The 2023 edition was, of course, quite a good one. Harris and amateur scouting director Mark Conner, along with assistant GM and VP of the scouting department, Rob Metzler, crushed this draft comfortably. That we can say that only three years later is entirely a credit to Mr. Kevin McGonigle, who is already paying huge dividends and could prove their best position player pick of all-time. Of course, the Tigers found quite a lot of other talented players in that draft, and even beyond McGonigle it may go down as one of the club’s best since the draft was initiated in 1965.
The Tigers selected 21 players in the 2023 draft, ultimately signing 19 of them total. This was the first we saw of the club’s draft strategy under the new leadership group. As we’ve come to expect, they favored left-handed hitting prep players who play up the middle, a strategy that has continued to SS Bryce Rainer in 2024, and SS Jordan Yost and catcher Michael Oliveto in 2025 with their first round picks. They allocated quite a bit of money to lure a couple of promising, well regarded arms away from their college commitments, and added a sprinkling of athletic, small school players with good contact ability, as well as a selection of overlooked college arms and a JUCO pick to round out their first draft.
1- CF Max Clark (Franklin Community HS) $7,700,000
The talented young center fielder signed as the third overall pick in the draft and took an underslot bonus $641,700 under the recommended amount. He’s moved as quickly as hoped, and at age 21 is having a solid season at the Triple-A level while polishing his game for the big jump. Clark can really hit, rarely strikes out, takes his walks, and is developing into a force defensively and on the basepaths. The big question is how much power he’ll grow into, but he’s comfortably among the top outfield prospects in the game and seems likely to make his major league debut sometime before the end of the season. Yes, Wyatt Langford was probably the better pick based on speed to the major leagues, but when all is said and done, Clark may yet prove the more valuable player.
CB-A- SS Kevin McGonigle (Monsignor Bonner HS) $2,847,500
The Tigers locked up their new star infielder with a bonus that was about $540,000 over slot, using the savings from Clark’s bonus to double up on an elite pair of high school talents. Little more needs be said as McGonigle rocketed through the minor leagues despite a few injuries and is well on his way to an AL Rookie of the Year title, and may make a push into MVP conversation if the power starts showing up a little more as he’s settled into the league. This may turn out to be the best pick in Detroit Tigers’ history. It feels great for Tigers’ fans knowing he’s already locked up on a long-term deal.
2- 2B Max Anderson (Nebraska) $1,429,650
Anderson also signed for about $750,000 under slot, helping the Tigers spread their bonus pool around. The stout infielder has power and good contact ability, and just hasn’t yet developed a selective enough eye to get to that power at the major league level consistently. A solid infielder who is a bit light in the range department, most of Anderson’s value is going to have to come from the bat, but he’s handling Triple-A much better in his second look and doing plenty of damage. He’ll have to be added to the 40-man roster this offseason, so at least a look at the show later this season is pretty likely for the 24-year-old infielder.
3- LHP Paul Wilson (Lakeridge High School) $1,697,500
Wilson signed for about $750,000 overslot, passing on his commitment to Oregon State. He is the son of a former major league pitcher in Trevor Wilson, and was regarded as a very polished lefty on draft day. Like most of the Tigers prep pitchers drafted under Harris, Wilson spent most of his time on the injured list in 2024-2025, and was pretty wild on the few occasions when he did pitch. However, in recent weeks he’s completed some rehab work at the Complex League level and returned to Single-A Lakeland to hopefully, finally embark on his pro career at age 21. So far, Wilson has shown mid-90’s velocity with quality breaking and offspeed stuff that still needs a lot of refinement. He’s finally on his way, so we’ll just cross our fingers and hope he’s finally put the injuries behind him and gotten himself physically built up to handle the pro workload. This could still turn out to be a great pick, but for now those grades are entirely incomplete.
4- 3B Carson Rucker (Goodpasture Christian School) $772.500
This prep third baseman received an extra $145,000 over slot to pass on a University of Tennessee commitment. He had a strong arm and good defensive chops for his age, with some quality power potential as well. However, Rucker dislocated his left shoulder and tore the labrum in 2024 as well just four games into his pro career. That cost him that whole season, and he dealt with some injuries in 2025 as well. Now 21 years old, Rucker has power and can play a pretty good third base, but while he’s walked a lot more and been a pretty productive hitter for Single-A Lakeland, his strikeout rate has been sky high. Rucker is really just healthy and getting steady reps for the first time this season, so I wouldn’t jump ship just yet, but things certainly aren’t going according to plan in his case.
Things started off smashingly for Hamm. His overhand delivery produced a pretty spectacular riding fastball that sat 94-95 mph and touched 97. The Tigers encouraged him to pitch up in the zone, and helped him refine the heater along with his wipeout curveball. He was also making progress on a slider by spring 2025. Hamm got some mention at the ends of various top 100 prospect lists heading into the 2025 season. Unfortunately, he struggled through a difficult campaign at the Double-A level that saw him deal with the dreaded dead arm syndrome.
His velocity started dipping down to 90-91 mph and sometimes worse, and while the Tigers shut him down eventually, he hasn’t pitched yet this season and there are no details about his status. All we can say is that he hasn’t had Tommy John surgery, and so shoulder trouble seems the likely culprit. He’ll be 24 in September, but he had looked good at Double-A before the troubles began, so there’s time for him to get back on track.
6- C Bennett Lee (Wake Forest) $297,500
Lee has developed into a decent catching prospect, with good defensive skills and plenty of leadership ability, but not a whole lot to write home about at the plate. The 24-year-old just isn’t going to hit at the major league level, although with a little improvement, it’s possible he could end up a Triple-A depth catcher who sees time in the major leagues as an injury replacement down the road.
7- SS John Peck (Pepperdine) $247,500
The 23-year-old John Peck was an early example of the Tigers hunting athletic, contact oriented up-the-middle defenders from smaller schools or with lesser college pedigrees, and getting them at bargain prices to help balance out the bigger bonuses given elsewhere to the prep picks. Peck has developed nicely, filling out his six-foot frame and developing above average raw power to go with pretty good skills on the infield. A right-handed hitter, Peck still needs to be more selective in his swing decisions, but he’s hit his way rapidly through the minor leagues considering his draft stock, and is tracking as a future utility infielder with some pop who can play just about anywhere on the diamond. Heck of a good value pick.
8- RHP Jatnk Diaz (Hazleton Area HS) $247,500
Diaz was a fun story on draft day, as the young right-hander’s senior season was washed out by ineligibility due to his travels to the Dominican during the COVID pandemic. He basically took it upon himself to coach himself up as a pitcher and was popping 95+ in short bursts after getting in outstanding shape on his own. Diaz got help from others in the local baseball community to get the word out and the Tigers caught wind of him and picked him up as another good value pick with the physical potential to develop into a pretty good pitcher. It’s been slow going, as Diaz has dealt with several injuries as well. He’s back in the Complex League after struggling at the Single-A level, and that mid-90’s velocity has been only occasionally in evidence. He’ll turn 22 in the next month, so next year may be his last chance to show he can stay on the mound and start making some real progress.
9- RHP Hayden Minton (Missouri State) $162,500
Minton recently got promoted to Double-A Erie. He’s a decent minor league starter with a pretty good breaking ball. Something else is going to have to pop in terms of stuff to make him a really viable prospect, as the hoped for 2026 breakout isn’t panning out for him. Now 25 years of age, he’s running out of time but should remain a quality org arm for a little while longer while he tries to take the next step.
10- LHP Andrew Sears (Connecticut) $167,800
Another excellent value pick on the path to making good is this intense left-hander, currently dealing for the Double-A SeaWolves after an injury to start the season. Sears profiles more like a swingman type than an obvious, future major league starting pitcher, but ongoing development of his changeup could change that assessment. He works quickly and aggressively, attacking hitters from a low three-quarters slot with a good fastball-slider combination. Sears should be up to Triple-A by year’s end, and will provide starting and middle relief depth to the Tigers in 2027 and beyond, and possibly more.
11- SS Jim Jarvis (Alabama) $175,000
Jarvis was yet another excellent value pick as a light-hitting, plus defensive shortstop with enough tools to make him a viable bench player. The Tigers flipped him from the Double-A level to the Atlanta Braves at last year’s deadline for reliever Rafael Montero. That’s probably not going to end up hurting them, but Jarvis was recently called up by the Braves to work off the bench, making him the second player from the Tigers 2023 class to reach the major leagues.
12- RHP Andrew Dunford (Houston County HS) $367,500
Dunford was another injury plagued prep pick from this class who was eventually released. The Astros picked up the 21-year-old and currently have him rehabbing with their Complex League club.
13- OF Brett Callahan (Saint Joseph’s) $197,500
Of all the high quality value selections the Tigers made with unheralded, small school players, Callahan is tracking to be the best of the bunch. The left-handed hitting outfielder is capable of playing all three positions and features a strong, accurate throwing arm that argues for a long-term corner outfield gig. He’s always pulled a lot of balls in the air and is now showing occasional bursts of plus raw power as well. Those batted ball tendencies got him on our radar from the start, and after battling injuries in 2024-2025, Callahan tore up the Double-A level this spring and is now working at the Triple-A level. His power and zone discipline gives him quite a lot of upside, but it’s his defense and base stealing ability that makes him a complete package and a viable major league platoon outfielder. The final step is to tone down his aggressive approach just enough to put more balls in play deep in counts. Those refinements will get him to the show, and there’s still a fair chance that Callahan breaks out into a well above average major league regular.
14- 2B David Smith (Connecticut) $150,000
Smith had himself a decent enough full season debut, but struggled in 2025 and was released. He’s currently a free agent.
15- C Brady Cerkownyk (Connors State) $397,500
Cerkownyk was an intriguing JUCO pick with a quality hit tool and the possibility of developing into a major league catcher with a lot of work. He got off to a decent start, but injuries and struggles at the plate led the Tigers to release him last year. Now 23, he’s in the Washington Nationals system and still trying to get established at the Single-A level.
16- RHP Donye Evans (UNC Charlotte) $150,000
Evans is still a reliever in the Tigers system but hasn’t really flashed enough stuff or command to get on the radar.
17- LHP Bradley Stewart (Cooper City HS) Unsigned
18- 3B Ethan Farris (Cypress Woods HS) Unsigned
Farris elected to go to school, as he wasn’t going to get a big bonus and was probably more of a backup plan in case one of the other prep picks declined to sign. He’s had a decent career at Texas State but is still just a mid to late round pick. He’s started to flash a little power and is still a strong-armed infielder, so it wouldn’t be too shocking to see the Tigers circle back on him after the first seven or eight rounds this time around.
19- RHP Blake Pivaroff (Arizona State) $150,000
Pivaroff pitched briefly in the Tigers’ system, but was released in 2025 and hasn’t caught on anywhere else.
20- RHP Johnathan Rogers (Tupelo High School) $150,000
Rogers showed some early promise, then dealt with injuries as well. He and the Tigers briefly parted ways, but Rogers got himself into better shape and found his velocity again. He re-signed with the Tigers and is currently just trying to build up some volume pitching in the Complex League. He still won’t turn 22 until September.
Overall one of the better drafts in Tigers’ history
It’s hard not to conclude already that 2023 was one of the best drafts in team history, and it may very well go down as the best ever. McGonigle is the cream of the crop, but between Clark looking like the center fielder of the future, and players like Callahan, Anderson, Peck, and Sears closing in on the major leagues, the first draft for Scott Harris went very well.
This draft did establish a template that the Tigers have largely continued to follow. Their success in adding athletes from smaller programs or without huge college pedigrees has proven very fruitful and a credit to the Tigers’ improvements in developing hitters overall. The base strategy of taking up the middle, left-handed hitting prep talents at the top of the draft is already proving a winner, and they’ve continued that tendency with picks of Bryce Rainer, Jordan Yost, and catcher Michael Oliveto in the 2024-2025 drafts.
The heavy bonus pool allotment toward prep pitchers, on the other hand, has been a minor disaster, leaving the Tigers with most of their top pitching talent still in A-ball, and with many bigger names still on the injury list. There is still plenty of time for Wilson to get it going, and possibly Jaden Hamm can get beyond his own injury woes and become a contributing factor again, but the system is currently heavily lop-sided toward position players, and that trend started with this draft.
The Harris struggles to acquire pitching at all levels remains the crucial organization weakness to worry about in the years ahead. However, the skill with which they’ve targeted a whole slew of talented, athletic young players at all points in the draft and developed them bodes very well for the system’s continued strength overall. They’ve just got to do a better job balancing things out, and figure out how to better to avoid the plague of injuries that have beset the pitching side of all three of Harris’ draft classes. Pivoting more to JUCO and undervalued Division I and II arms has been their approach the past two drafts, but those classes have still been riddled with injuries on the pitching side early on.
Now that we are a week into NHL free agency, a lot of this year's top unrestricted free agents (UFAs) have found their new homes. While this is the case, there are some interesting UFAs still on the market who the Montreal Canadiens could consider targeting.
One specific UFA who could make sense for the Canadiens to bring in on a short-term deal is forward Michael Bunting.
The Canadiens could use another top-nine winger on their roster. Bunting would be an interesting player for them to bring in, as he is capable of providing decent secondary offensive production to go along with some bite.
In 74 games during this past season split between the Nashville Predators and Dallas Stars, Bunting posted 14 goals and 33 points. This was after he had 19 goals, 38 points, and 68 penalty minutes in 76 games during the 2024-25 season. He also had 55 points in 81 games during the 2023-24 campaign, so he could be a solid pickup for the Canadiens.
If the Canadiens signed Bunting, he could be a good fit on their third line. However, he also would be capable of moving up and down the lineup because of his versatility and ability to play both wings.
Overall, on a one-year prove-it deal, Bunting could be worth taking a chance on. From 2021-22 to 2024-25, he scored at least 19 goals each season.
Many of this year's most notable UFAs have signed their new contracts now that it has been a week since NHL free agency started. Yet, there are still a decent number of players who have yet to land deals at this point in the summer.
A good chunk of them just so happen to be former Pittsburgh Penguins players.
Anthony Mantha, Michael Bunting, Matt Grzelcyk, Reilly Smith, and Danton Heinen are some of the former Penguins without deals at this stage of the off-season.
In Mantha's case, it is likely that he is waiting to find the right deal. He has set himself up for a nice raise, as he posted career highs with 33 goals, 31 assists, and 64 points last season with the Penguins.
With Bunting being a gritty forward who can produce decent offense, he should be able to land his next contract soon. The 30-year-old forward posted 14 goals and 33 points in 74 games last season split between the Nashville Predators and Dallas Stars. He appeared in 79 games over two seasons with the Penguins from 2023-24 to 2024-25, posting 20 goals and 48 points.
Grzelcyk was a great fit on the Penguins' blueline during his lone season with the team in 2024-25. In 82 games, he set career highs with 39 assists and 40 points. He cooled off last season, as he posted 12 assists in 69 games with the Chicago Blackhawks. However, his experience could lead to him landing another NHL contract this summer.
Smith spent the 2023-24 season with the Penguins, recording 13 goals and 40 points in 76 games. The veteran winger saw a dip in offensive production last season with the Vegas Golden Knights, as he posted 26 points in 69 games. He could land a one-year deal with a team if they feel he can bounce back.
As for Heinen, he spent four seasons over two stints with the Penguins. He played in 13 games last season with Pittsburgh before being traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets, where he had a goal and an assist. He followed that up by recording 10 points in 33 games with Columbus. Teams looking for help in their bottom six could consider taking a flier on the 10-year veteran.
